Insatiable
by BelleDayNight
Summary: Takashi trained under Master Vampire Hunter Busujima, but his master is dead and his daughter, Saeko, is now missing. Sakura works at a research facility and finds out her latest project involves a deadly test subject with crimson eyes, sharp fangs, and an insatiable appetite.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Insatiable**

**Summary: ** Takashi trained under Master Vampire Hunter Busujima, but his master is dead and his daughter, Saeko, is now missing. Sakura works at a research facility and finds out her latest project involves a deadly test subject with crimson eyes, sharp fangs, and an insatiable appetite.

* * *

**Prologue:**

The pale moon hung high in the Spring night sky. It had become her sun while the darkness of the night was now her only friend. She wasn't sure how many months had passed since _he_ had taken her father's blood and life, and then turned on her. Her bokken had been ineffective against his inhuman strength. His fangs had elongated into sharp knives that pierced the delicate flesh at her throat. His eyes would haunt her nightmares - crimson and black pits of darkness. However, there was something about her that attracted the attention of her new master.

When he looked into her eyes he didn't see the eyes of another victim. He found a kindred spirit in her. So, recognizing a darkness with her, he didn't kill her. He made her something _other._

Monsters were no longer fantasy. Now, she was a creature of the night, one barely capable of controlling her rage.

And she was always so thirsty.

The streets of the city were full of vermin — mortal monsters that preyed on the weak. Saeko managed to hold onto what little remained of her humanity by focusing on quenching her thirst on their lifeblood. _They_ tried to murder a man trying to make his way home to his family — she stopped them. _They_ tried to rape a teenage girl as she was late going home after an extra practice after school — she stopped them. _They_ tried to beat an elderly woman to death for her purse — she stopped them.

Then one night, she saw that she wasn't the only one on the streets trying to protect those unable to protect themselves. There was a little girl with her father and one of those vermin held a gun trained at the father's heart.

"Coward," Saeko hissed. She could smell the wickedness wafting up towards her on the air circulating the vermin. That was another thing she'd grown accustomed to — not only a keen sense of hearing that counted the heartbeats of every living soul within a mile's radius of her, but a sense of smell that could detect emotions. She felt the fear from the girl and her father, as well as the father's determination. From the assailant she could smell nothing, but greed and excitement.

She started towards them, intent to feed once more, but she was too late.

Another had come to the aid of the young girl and her father. He looked about her age — at least her age before she'd been turned. His hair was dark and wild and he wore a dark school uniform she recognized from her former academy.

"Alice, look out!" the father shouted, clutching his child to him and shielding her with his body as he got out of the way of the man with the baseball bat.

Saeko could feel the shriveled heart in her chest clench at the sight in the alleyway below her. She crouched at the top of the fire escape to watch the proceedings more clearly — her eyesight had also improved drastically to be akin to that of a hawk — a bird of prey. She couldn't interfere now. She had a rule — never to be seen.

The crack of the baseball bat slamming against the hand holding the gun echoed through the alleyway. The gun fell to the ground and the young man kicked it away. "I suggest you seek other means of employment," the young man said.

The vermin cried out in pain, then scrambled out of the alleyway clutching his injured hand tight against his chest. Saeko thought about following him and satiating her appetite, but she couldn't draw her eyes away from the young savior. There was something about his stance that was almost familiar, yet she was certain that she'd never seen him before.

"Are you okay?" The dark-haired man held out his hand and helped the father and his daughter to their feet.

The little girl hugged his knees. "Thank you so much, mister!"

"What is your name, young man? I would like to thank you for saving my daughter and me," the father said. He shook his head sadly. "I should have known better than to brave these streets so late at night. I'm Mr. Maresato and this is my daughter, Alice. Reports of crime were low, so I thought maybe it would have been safe. I write for the city newspaper and we just finished watching a musical downtown that I was assigned to write a piece about."

"Takashi Komuro," the dark-haired man introduced himself. "I'm just glad I was here to help." He reached down and tussled the young girl's red hair. "You two be careful," he said with a grin. He looked up towards the fire escape and Saeko was afraid he saw her, but she knew that he couldn't possibly have known she was there. He was only human after all. "You never know what may be out there."

Saeko scrambled back to the top of the building and tried to calm down her emotions. She had grown used to the blood lust and excitement she felt at inflicting violence on those that deserved it. What she felt now was different.

Just who was this Takashi Komuro? And why did she feel so different around him? It was as if she felt like a normal human once more and not the monster that she had become.

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**Two months ago…**

Master Daichi Busujima was a slave driver, working his apprentice past the point of exhaustion several times. Takashi Komuro had been training under the master vampire hunter for the past year. During that time, his gangly body had been transformed - he'd gained about three inches in height standing even with his master now, turned gangly into coordinated lean muscle, and had reflexes on par with any master vampire hunter. Master Busujima's daytime job was as a local Kendo instructor and his most precious possession was his daughter, Saeko. Takashi had only seen his master's daughter from afar at school. She was a pretty girl, captain of the Kendo club, and completely off limits to him on threat of death by her overprotective father.

"Stay away from my Saeko, Komuro. I chose you for my successor. I don't want her to be part of this darkness," Master Busujima warned, as he raised his practice sword once more.

Takashi evaded the blow that surely would have broken bones had it connected. "Understood, Master Busujima." That didn't mean he wouldn't watch her from afar. Often times he could be found skipping class, hanging out on the school rooftop, and watching a certain willowy, violet haired upperclassman. He'd seen the talent on the school's Kendo club. He could easily defeat any of those on the team roster with the exception of his master's daughter. He craved facing her in a challenge of combat. He wanted to know which of them was Master Busujima's top student - his daughter or his apprentice?

After a particularly grueling workout session, Takashi and Master Busujima settled in for a history lesson regarding vampire lore. They sat across from each other, lotus style, with their practice swords resting across their laps.

"Tell me, son, what do you know to be true regarding vampires?" Master Busujima asked, his steel gray eyes intimidating in their intensity.

"They are creatures of the night, they are trapped in immortal youth until they fall prey to a hunter's blade. They feast upon the lifeblood of normal humans, often overwhelmed by bloodlust and greedily drain their victims until they fall dead. Vampires usually live in clans, which are centered around a master vampire. Though, it is the lone vampire that is most dangerous. The lone vampires have no rules to follow and are often desperate and most driven by bloodlust," Takashi stated.

"And how do you kill these abominations?" Busujima asked.

"Destroy what remains of their black hearts, decapitation, and daylight or UV radiation," Takashi recited. "Master, I do not understand why you do not warn your daughter of these things."

Busujima's calm expression hardened in anger. "If you do your job right, she won't need to know of these creatures of the night." He closed his eyes as a look of deep pain washed across his face. "If I had been more prepared, her mother would still be alive. I will not risk my daughter."

Takashi pressed his lips together to refrain himself from objecting. He disagreed with his master on this account. The vampires were a very real threat, especially for the daughter of the most renown vampire hunter in the whole of Japan. Master Busujima's daughter had no idea of the danger she faced every time the sun settled behind the western horizon.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Master Busujima said, opening his eyes, a stoic samurai once more. "I'll see you tomorrow evening. When you come, I expect a full report on the latest research by Orochimaru's team."

"Of course," Takashi said, bowing respectfully. He loathed Orochimaru's division of the Van Helsing Society, but knew it was necessary. He left his master's secret training dojo and passed near to the Busujima's residence. He could see Saeko's silhouette against the shoji screen that blocked the side windows of the house. He paused a moment to appreciate her tall, slim figure with generous curves in all the right places. Takashi shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "Don't tempt yourself, Komuro," he muttered to himself.

* * *

**OoO**

The two colleagues worked late into the evening at an elite research facility. They were both considered highly intelligent, having earned their Bachelors of Science degrees when most of their contemporaries were just starting college. The female had shoulder-length pastel pink hair, jade green eyes, and was only about five foot three. What she lacked in height, she made up for in a confident, somewhat brazen personality. The male was average height, dark hair and dark eyes, and could generally be found napping at any opportunity he could find.

"Are the images swimming before your eyes too?" Sakura Haruno asked, turning towards her lab research partner and away from the DNA readouts they'd been studying. They had been in the lab for several hours longer than usual. When she had been accepted into the research department, she thought it had been a dream come true. All her life she'd studied hard and worked hard. She graduated high school by the age of fifteen and undergraduate school by the age of eighteen. At twenty, she thought working on her masters in an elite research facility was the epitome of achievement.

"I think it's troublesome when they have us work late without any real explanation on the rush," Shikamaru Nara said. "I had to cancel my date with my girlfriend. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep that woman pleased?"

"I'm sure Orochimaru has a reason for us working these long hours late into the evening," Sakura said. She glanced around hoping that their supervisor, Kabuto Yakushi, hadn't overheard.

"Haruno," Kabuto said, waltzing into the brightly lit research room. The florescent lights washed out his pale features even more, and his glasses reflected the lights eerily.

Sakura and Shikamaru exchanged quick glances, the latter shrugging. "Yes, sir," Sakura answered standing from her seat. "How may I be of service?"

"Lord Orochimaru has a special assignment for you," Kabuto said. "Come with me," he ordered.

"Okay," Sakura said.

"And Nara, your services for the evening are no longer required. Be back tomorrow for your usual schedule," Kabuto said.

"Yes, sir," Shikamaru said, his eyes suspicious at the dismissal.

Sakura followed Kabuto down a few flights of stairs into the lower subterranean levels of the research facility. He used the keycard around his neck to slide through one of the restricted sections. He then lifted his glasses and had a retina scan verify his identity. She swallowed nervously, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat.

"I trust you understand, that what you are about to see, is of utmost secrecy," Kabuto said, pausing before a set of heavy steel doors. "If you were to reveal to anyone what you're about to see, Lord Orochimaru will be unforgiving in how he deals with you. Are we clear?"

Sakura nodded. "I understand." She respected Orochimaru's brilliance, but she also respected his ruthlessness. There were rumors that he had eliminated his competition permanently.

Seemingly satisfied, Kabuto led her inside of the inhospitable steel doors. The room was incredibly dark with only red lights over the work benches and lab equipment and a few dull yellow lights over one corner of the room where the computers were located. What she didn't expect was to see a young man, about her age, chained inside of a cage at the far end of the room.

In the dim light his eyes immediately settled upon the both of them. Sakura took a step back, not expecting the crimson and black irises that glared back at her. For the first time in her life, Sakura felt real fear. "What is this?"

"This is your special assignment," Kabuto said. He strode across the room on his long legs and approached the cage. He flipped a switch and a surge of blue electricity raced through the cage, the boy inside screamed in pain. "If he causes you any trouble, just hit this switch and that should keep him docile."

"What exactly do you want me to do with him?" Sakura asked, fighting the urge to rush to the poor captive's side. She was more afraid of Kabuto than of the boy in the cage at this point.

"Study him. Learn about his blood, DNA, weaknesses, and strengths. I want you to map out his intelligence. Find out what he craves, desires, and fears." Kabuto started for the door. "I'll be back in four hours. There's a bathroom in the corner over there," he said pointing towards the computer area.

"Wait, you're not leaving me here, are you?" Sakura asked, feeling panicked. There wasn't much that frightened her, but being locked five levels below ground with an angry looking man with inhuman eyes just moved up on that list.

"You'll be fine," Kabuto said, touching her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. It took all of Sakura's resolve not to throw off that hand with a scream of disgust. "He won't harm you. He knows the consequences."

Sakura watched as Kabuto locked her inside the room. She turned back to face the caged young man. "So, I guess we'll be working together for a while," she said with an attempt at a smile.

The young man growled at her and rushed at the bars, the force rattling the cage ominously. The smile faltered off of Sakura's face. She held her hands up in a gesture of peace. "Look, we're going to be stuck together for a while. I don't intend to harm you, but honestly I have no idea what's going on."

"You'll wish you'd been kept in the dark, mortal," the young man hissed.

* * *

_A/N: This is an idea I can't get out of my head. It will be a ten chapter novella, unless I have some insane inspiration to take it further. I couldn't decide if I wanted to write HOTD or Naruto, so I decided to combine the two together. I want to thank _**Gentizm**_ for beta-ing this first chapter. I consider this a bit of a gift-fic for my friend _**shotgunhero**_ whom has a sudden craving for vampire stories!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Insatiable**

**Chapter Two:**

Sasuke gripped his hands around the bars of the cage. He could easily break the iron and free himself. The only thing that had stopped him before was that bespectacled, white haired man's trigger finger on the electrical system. This girl — this human, didn't seem to know anything about the system, or maybe she just didn't want to use it. Did the ones that captured him leave her here as bait? He was certainly hungry enough to be tempted. They weren't spying on them. There were no cameras recording what transpired in the room. He could hear no recording devices. It was just him and the girl.

She was sort of pretty — in that nerdy scientist sort of way. She wore a set of pale green medical scrubs, a white lab coat, and plain black canvas tennis shoes. She might as well have been a vampire's equivalent to delivery pizza.

"My name is Sakura." She shifted her eyes towards the switch that operated the electrical charge. "I won't be using that against you. So there is no need to worry." She slipped off her white lab coat and laid it over the back of a nearby chair.

So she had paid attention and knew how to work the electrical torture devise. Was she in league with the men that took him? Was this an elaborate ploy to trick him into relaxing his guard? "You smell nice, Sakura," Sasuke said, enunciating her name carefully. Her jade eyes widened and her pupils dilated in fear. Good. At least she wasn't completely stupid. He sat back with his spine pressed against the far side of the cage, legs stretched out before him. He needed to create distance between them. If he succumbed to his hunger, his brother would be so disappointed. You didn't want to disappoint Itachi Uchiha — it would be the last thing you ever did.

"Um, thank you," she said, tucking away a stray strand of her pale, pink hair behind her ear. "And what may I call you?"

"You smell nice because your blood type is O negative," Sasuke explained, closing his eyes with a sigh and breathing deep. It would have been so much better if she'd been a different blood type. No doubt,_ they_ knew that too. "No RH factor, no antibodies. Just blood in its most pure, most simple form." Most delicious form, but it was best if he kept that thought to himself.

"Look, I don't know why they locked you up. I can't help you, if you don't tell me anything," Sakura said, her voice rising in anger.

He opened his eyes, she didn't seem scared. All he could sense was concern and annoyance. Was she worried for him? "They locked me up so that I wouldn't kill them. Though, the real question is—," he paused, shifted his position, placed his hands palms flat on the floor of his cage, and leaned towards her. "Why did they lock you in here with me?"

"Can you at least tell me your name?" Sakura asked, again, her eyes followed his every movement. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a researcher. I study blood diseases in hopes of discovering cures, or at least vaccines to help prevent them. This," she said, gesturing to the room about them, "isn't something that I was aware existed."

The ignorance of mortals — always a likely excuse. "I'm not a disease," Sasuke said. He leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha and I am vampire."

Sakura shook her head and snorted, then as the realization dawned on her, she leaned closer to the cage. He could feel the warmth of her breath. "Vampire? Is that how you know my blood type?"

He nodded, curious about her reaction. He never had someone laugh at him before. He may have judged prematurely when he decided that she wasn't a complete fool.

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Exactly how old are you, Sasuke?" she asked.

He sniffed the air and took in Sakura's healthy, youthful scent. He estimated that she was around twenty years old. "Same age as you, I suspect," Sasuke answered. Plus another two hundred years.

She glanced down at the watch strapped to her wrist. "He said he'd be back in four hours." She dropped to her knees on the floor and wrapped her hands around the bars of the cage. "Do you know why they took you? Specifically?"

Sasuke eyed Sakura's hands cautiously. He was so hungry. His fangs began to elongate. He could see each and every vessel under her skin pulsing with the flow of blood as they glowed in what appeared a brilliant red light to his infrared sight. With a concentrated effort he slid his fangs back into his gum line. No feasting on the O negative. "Specifically? Because most of the others are dead now."

"What do you mean? What happened to these others?" Sakura gripped the bars in earnest, her knuckles white under the pressure. He was tempted to tell her all of it. What could it hurt? She was either food or a pawn. And if she was too troublesome, he could wipe her memory.

"There was a virus, it wiped out the females. Then the males went mad in grief. Only a few of us remain," Sasuke answered. He didn't need to tell her that the virus killed his mother and that his father had been driven insane. His father started feeding indiscriminately on the humans. His elder brother, Itachi, had made it his mission to terminate the vampires that had been driven to insanity — including their own father. Now without any female vampires, their species was doomed towards extinction. These were things Sakura didn't need to know. What could she do about it? She was only human.

"That's terrible," Sakura whispered. "That is my area of expertise, well, not vampires, but blood-borne viruses. Maybe I could analyze the blood of the infected and find a cure."

"Too late, they're all dead," Sasuke said. "Besides, I believe your bosses are more interested in the strength that I possess. They want the long life that my kind enjoy. They want all the benefits, but without the consequences."

"Do they intend to kill you?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke angled his head to the side and looked at her incredulously. Of course they intended to kill him! "I'm almost certain your bosses are the ones that created the virus."

"Oh," Sakura said, running the fingers of one hand through her hair in frustration, while the other still gripped the bars. "I should have known this job was too good to be true." She leaned forward, her jade eyes focused on him. "I'll have you know, Sasuke Uchiha, I don't even agree with experiments on animals. I research all the products I buy, but somehow, my own company was doing this and I failed to see it."

"Hn," Sasuke scoffed. "Considering their ability to capture me, they're no novices." He pushed away from the back of the cage, laid his hand over hers, so quick that to a human eye it wouldn't have even registered as a blur. "The question is, Sakura, what will you do about it now?"

"I want to trust you, Sasuke. I also want to trust my boss," Sakura said, looking down at their joined hands. "I've been here six months and it was only today that I've seen any proof of something nefarious going on here." She looked up, locked eyes with him.

It was a mistake to look him directly in the eyes. As a natural born vampire of the powerful Uchiha Clan his eyes had a special power. He could create illusions, hypnotize others, erase memories and create new ones, and more specifically set someone on fire. That was the reason the white-haired man wore the glasses. He could force her to release him from his confinement, but he hesitated. He didn't know where he was or how long he'd been there. It had been sometime since he'd fed. He could feel the weakness in his bones and muscles. If daylight was approaching he wouldn't survive.

Sasuke released her hand and sat back in his cage, out of reach. "Even if you release me, they still have data from my blood." He held up his arm, pushed back the long-sleeve of his black knit shirt to reveal a long, partially healed laceration that the white-haired man gave him, taking a hunk of his flesh with it. "My tissues and DNA. Do not trust these men. My brother will be looking for me. Woe to whomever might stand in his way."

"I can't just leave you here," Sakura whispered. She suddenly stiffened. "Are they recording this? Our interactions?"

This girl was just now worried about being watched? She truly was a novice. "I believe they would have intervened already seeing as how close you are to freeing their captive after only a half hour," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Do you feed on humans?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "My branch of the Uchiha clan avoids feeding on humans." Silently, he added, 'As much as possible.' "We surmise that's how the virus was introduced into our population. I cannot speak for the others of my kind."

"I'm going to need some time to process this, plan, and figure out a solution," Sakura said cradling her head in her hands. She looked up. "Give me your arm." She held her hand out expectedly.

He eyed her hand in disbelief - she had perfectly manicured fingernails, he hadn't been expecting that. "You want to see the wound up close?"

"I promise I won't hurt you," Sakura said. Her eyes bore into him and he could so very easily hypnotize her. "Please?"

"It will heal within a few hours," Sasuke grumbled, but he placed his lacerated arm in her outstretched hand.

Sakura said nothing, but her palm began to glow green over his wound. The torn flesh of his forearm began to knit back together. Beyond that, he could feel the fatigue of his entire body vanish. He stared at her, trying to see what created this power. He could see the blood running throughout her veins, the neurons firing through her nerves, but something else seemed to course through her body. She barely touched him and yet he felt her invade the totality of his body.

"You have a third network," he said, confused by what he'd just witnessed. Sasuke retracted his healed arm. He ran his fingers over the smooth flesh. He looked back at the human — just what was she? No mere human could do what she just did.

"Chakra," Sakura said. She met his eyes once more. "I will promise you this, Sasuke Uchiha, I will find a way to free you from this prison."

"Hn," Sasuke scoffed. It was a nice thought, but he doubted if he'd ever see this human again, regardless of her strange green healing power. If she did manage to make it out of the facility, without the white-haired lunatic killing her, then he'd have his familiar follow her. Even deep underground he could still communicate with his hawk familiar, but he lacked the strong connection he would need to track down his brother. However, he could easily have his hawk follow after this human and allow him to keep an eye on things, even if from a distance.

He scooted to the far, back side of the cage to keep his distance. He felt his fangs protrude as his hunger for her grew. Her magical touch had served him greater than blood ever had. He wanted more.

* * *

**OoO**

The Van Helsing Society's weapons storehouse was located in the industrial district of the city. Takashi had been exhausted from his grueling workout with Master Busujima, but that only marked the start of his evening training. Takashi sat across from Kohta Hirano, taking apart his automatic handgun and putting it back together, and listening as the husky, firearms specialist and inventor reviewed his latest project. And though his hunting partner wouldn't admit it, his parents had most definitely named him after the creator of the Hellsing manga. Kohta was destined to fight vampires.

"And this baby has a canister full of a liquid of condensed ultraviolet light. Once it hits the target kablewy! Roasted vampire," Kohta explained. He held out a brass and glass bullet, the iridescent liquid within reflected against his spectacles. "Hey! Are you listening?"

Takashi shook his head. "Sorry, I was distracted."

"Does she have violet hair and a very scary father?" Kohta asked, his fingers curled possessively around the bullet.

"Yeah, same as usual," Takashi said, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Just to those that know you," Kohta reassured him. "You're obviously not listening. Did you check to make sure that gun wasn't loaded before you started taking it apart?"

"I took out the clip," Takashi said, holding up the part full of bullets.

"It's called a magazine," Kohta corrected. "Did you check the chamber for a round?"

"No, I didn't check the chamber for a round," Takashi grumbled. He opened the chamber and found a bullet within. He tapped it out onto his palm.

Kohta shook his head, his dark eyes disappointed. "Safety first, Komuro. Let's move on to the firing range where I can watch you closer. Your aim is still terrible."

"By your standards, maybe," Takashi said. Now, without any rounds inside, he assembled his handgun, then checked the safety just to make sure, before he locked the magazine in place. Hirano was a power to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Though, he and Takashi both attended the same Fujimi Academy, Hirano might as well have been a shadow at school - quiet and unobtrusive. He didn't socialize or stand out in class. Takashi strongly suspected that he was Kohta's only friend that he knew outside of the Van Helsing Society.

"By my standards, and by the standards of a vampire that can move faster than your human eye can follow," Kohta pointed out. "So, your friend, Takagi, she's pretty." He selected a pair of handguns for them. "Grab me a box of .45 caliber rounds," he said.

Takashi picked up a couple of boxes of the requested rounds. "Yes, she is," he agreed. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in Saya, now would you? Because, as I recall, her dad is pretty scary too."

The tips of Kohta's ears burned red.

"I'll be sure to put in a good word for you," Takashi said with a good natured slap of his hand against his stout friend's back.

They walked the short distance past the body armor room — kevlar vests, shin guards, and forearm bracers in various sizes lined the wall. When on a hunt, it was important to wear protective armor. Their predecessors in the Van Helsing Society were often Samurai and wore armor as well. They'd traded in the bow and arrow for long-range rifles. Though, the sword was still a favored weapon amongst most members of the society.

"I only have about a half hour to hone your skills, Komuro. I need to meet with the detective later to order more supplies," Kohta said. He adjusted the distance of the paper target at the far end of the lane by pressing the control buttons on the side of the wall.

"Make sure I'm long gone before then," Takashi said. "Maybe just give me an update on his report at school tomorrow."

"It's important that we all hear what Detective Miyamoto has to say," Kohta said. "His reports are vital in tracking vampiric activity." He handed Takashi protective ear and eye gear while he used his glasses to protect his own eyes and secured his ear muffs in place.

Detective Miyamoto might have useful information regarding suspicious homicides and other violent attacks in the area. The police officer was a vital member of the V.H.S. and often had leads on vampiric activity. Unfortunately, every time Takashi saw the man he asked him about his relationship with Rei. There was a time when Takashi was romantically interested in the detective's daughter, but that was before he saw Master Busujima's daughter.

* * *

**OoO**

Saeko looked up from her Calculus homework as her father joined her at the kitchen table with two glasses of water. He placed one in front of her and sipped at the other one. He looked exhausted as he stared at the glass vase with the ivy plant sitting on the table top. His gray-blue eyes followed the movements of the red beta fish swimming under the plant's roots.

"Why is your fish in the kitchen?" Daichi asked, his dark eyebrows raised in amusement.

"He is keeping me company as I work on my math homework," Saeko said with a grin. She tapped her fingernail against the glass, drawing the fish's attention. His bright red fins fluttered at his sides. "He's a good cheerleader."

Daichi snorted in mirth and continued to drink his water.

"How was your private session?" Saeko asked. Her father was a master swordsman. Every so often, he would train students privately outside of his regular dojo hours. When she was little he used to train Souichiro Takagi — a powerful politician. Sometimes, she was allowed to watch the two men practice. Though, for some reason, he had forbidden her from observing his current student. Naturally, that made her even more curious about the apprentice. Earlier that evening, Saeko had stood near the front window hoping for a glimpse of her father's pupil. Her efforts were rewarded when she saw the retreating figure of his student. She was almost certain it was a young man close to her age.

"It was satisfactory," Daichi answered.

Saeko took a drink from her water. "Perhaps I could watch a practice?" she asked with a cautious note of hope in her tone. She twirled her mechanical pencil in her hand, hoping the fidgeting would make it seem that she wasn't too terribly intrigued.

"No," Daichi said, setting his glass down firmly.

"Father, you're exhausted. You train me personally every morning as well as teach your regular classes. Then you take on a separate apprentice in the evenings. He comes over at least four times a week." Saeko set aside her pencil and reached for her father's hand. "Let me help you."

Daichi caught her hand, gave it an affectionate squeeze, and then stood from the table. "No, Saeko. You need to focus on your studies." He collected both of their empty glasses and brought them to the sink. "Don't you have a tournament this weekend?"

Saeko shook her head. "It was last weekend, father," she said quietly. It wasn't the first time her father missed an important event of hers, but she didn't hold it against him.

She knew that he loved her and he did his best, but he kept so busy with the lives of his students. Daichi Busujima took his role as a Master Kendo instructor seriously. Saeko respected that about him. Though he spent many more hours involved in something _other, _but Saeko didn't know what. She remembered being young and her mother worrying about father's absences while he was with his friends. Saeko to this day had yet to meet these friends. Perhaps it was a political party with Souichiro Takagi, or maybe something else entirely.

"Last weekend?" Daichi turned to her, jaw slackened in shock. "I'm sorry, daughter. I didn't realize—," he trailed off. He ran his fingers through his jet black hair in frustration.

Saeko closed her math text book and gathered her school supplies. "It's okay, Father. You taught me well."

"How did you do?" Daichi asked.

"The championship trophy is sitting on top of the mantle in the living room," Saeko said. She collected her pet fish and balanced his make-shift aquarium on top of her book.

"How can I make this up to you? I wanted to be there for your special moment," Daichi said, his firm hand gripped her shoulder. His expression was solemn and sorrowful.

"You were called in to an emergency meeting with that secret society you're a part of so you couldn't have attended," Saeko said. "I don't know why you're so secretive about it. If you're part of the Green Dragon, just say so."

"I'm not part of the Green Dragon Society," Daichi said scowling.

"And even if you were you wouldn't tell me," Saeko said with an amused smile. "Here's what you can do — you can let me help you, Father. You're all I have and I can't lose you," Saeko said. She balanced her things in one arm and reached up to pat her father's hand with her newly freed one. "Do not work so hard."

"I'll think about it," Daichi said. His pale eyes were troubled by conflicting emotions. "Maybe next week, I'll let you meet my apprentice. It could be that I've been wrong to keep the two of you apart." He chuckled. "He's a good kid. He actually attends Fujimi Academy same as you, though I believe he's in the class below yours."

"Really? What's his name?" Saeko pressed. Her father was so close to revealing his apprentice's secret identity!

"Tak— Actually, why don't we wait until next week? I need to think about this, okay?" Daichi said. He took the fish vase and books out of Saeko's grasp. "Let me help you with these. Don't give your old man too much to think about at one time. Right now, I just want to appreciate that my little girl is the National Women's Kendo Champion."

Saeko grinned at her father and looped her arm around his waist as they walked towards her bedroom. "I would have been champion of the males too if they allowed it to be a co-ed competition. Just imagine all those little boys I'd have sent home crying."

Daichi placed her books on her desk and the fish aquarium on her book case. He pulled her against him in a bear hug, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "I love you, my little koi. Stop growing up so fast."

"I love you too, Father. Please, take care," Saeko said, angling her face so that she could kiss him on the cheek. "Why don't we skip tomorrow morning's practice? I could use the extra hour of sleep."

"Since the tournament was last weekend, I'd say you earned an extra hour of sleep," Daichi said. He held his hand to his mouth in an attempt to suppress a yawn. "I could use the extra sleep myself," he confessed.

Saeko crawled into bed as her father shut the door to her room on his way out. She stared up at the ceiling, her imagination running wild as she tried to envision what it would be like to face off against her father's evening apprentice. It would be more thrilling than the national championship she'd just won. Who would be better? Just who was this Tak…?

* * *

**OoO**

Sakura sat at the computer desk on the far side of the room from Sasuke. She could see his crimson eyes staring back at her in the dim light of the room. Four hours had passed since she'd been locked into the room with the vampire. He had refrained from speaking to her since she had made her vow.

The tumbler of the door began to engage. Sasuke closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Kabuto stepped inside, paused at the threshold and stared between the cage and Sakura's position in the chair across the room in surprise. "I'm glad you're in good health, Miss Haruno," Kabuto said.

"You left me alone in a room with a hungry vampire," Sakura accused, her tone frustrated. She'd spent the last hour mentally preparing herself for Kabuto's return. She decided her best tactic was to play the role of power-hungry scientist. If she understood her boss Orochimaru, he was a man that was interested in results and not ethics. If she sounded hysterical or shocked they might decide she didn't have the stomach for what they needed. They'd either take her off the project or terminate her — permanently.

Kabuto glanced back at the vampire. "You still seem to be intact," he mused, turning back to her.

"I want to study him," Sakura said. She pushed away from the desk and moved towards Kabuto with carefully calculated strides to make her appear impatient. A manic scientist got results! "I had no idea such creatures existed! I could have made such leaps of progress if I had known about him sooner!"

"I'll consider your petition," Kabuto said, his tone neutral and noncommittal. "I think it's about time that you clocked out for the night. Follow me, Miss Haruno."

Sakura counted her blessings as Kabuto led her out of the maze that was the facility's underground. At every turn, she suspected that he'd pull out a pistol and shoot her, execution style in the head. She tried to memorize the route he took, but it was nearly impossible. When they reached her normal work area, she was genuinely surprised to be whole and unscathed — between a hungry vampire and a mad scientist she really didn't think her odds were particularly good.

"I trust you understand the necessity of keeping our project a secret, Miss Haruno," Kabuto said. "The consequences would be dire for you." He held out his hand. "I'll need your cell phone."

"Why do you need my cell phone?" Sakura asked.

"You'll be issued a company phone that we can track. You understand the need for secrecy," Kabuto said, repeating his earlier sentiment.

Understood," Sakura said. She pulled her phone out of her desk drawer and handed the device to him. It wasn't like she'd be calling anyone about what happened. Besides, there was only one person she could trust with all this strange information and she'd want to talk to him in person.

"Your company issued phone will be ready for you tomorrow when you come to work," Kabuto said. "We'll see you at your usual time."

"Of course," Sakura said. She forced a yawn and belatedly raised her fist to cover her mouth. "Excuse me," she said, shaking her head.

"Actually, Miss Haruno, why don't you take the morning off. We'll see you after lunch," Kabuto said, his eyes almost sympathetic. "It's been a long evening for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Yakushu," Sakura said. She grabbed her things and hurried to acquire her car. Right after she turned on the engine, she headed for the western most roads in the direction of the small village where she grew up. It was a two and a half hour drive, but regardless of the time of night, she knew her brother's door would be open.

She didn't notice the hawk that followed her.

Two and a half hours, one bathroom break, and two caffeinated drinks later, Sakura parked outside of Naruto's apartment building. She'd known Naruto Uzumaki nearly her entire life. After the death of his parents when he was a toddler, her parents took him in and he became her foster brother. They grew up together and were as close as any blood related siblings. She ran up the two flights of stairs to his apartment and knocked on his door.

The door opened with a sleepy blond haired young man wearing a night cap, fuzzy slippers, and stripped pajamas. "Sakura? What are you doing here? Why are you in scrubs?" He asked, knuckling his eyes.

Sakura wiped her feet on his welcome mat out of habit, then pushed past Naruto inside, and shut the door behind them. "I need your help to rescue a vampire."

"What?" He led her towards the orange eyesore of a couch in his living room. "A vampire?"

"I need your help, and Hinata's really, to rescue a vampire," Sakura said. "I need her computer skills. I'll need to delete all the information on Otogakure's computers." Sakura's mind ran over the various scenarios they might face. She might have to blow her cover. She'd been living in the city as a civilian for a few years.

"Well, with her Byukagan, that shouldn't be a problem," Naruto said. "Why didn't you just break him out yourself?"

"Because, I have to delete all the information Orochimaru has on him," Sakura explained.

"I knew it!" Naruto said, slapping his fist on the arm of the couch. "When Granny Tsunade sent you on that mission, I knew you'd figure out what his scheme was within six months." He gave her a Cheshire grin. "Ino owes me ten-thousand yen. I knew you'd solve this assignment before Shikamaru."

"It's because of my blood type."

"Say what?"

"They planned to use me as bait. They wanted me to feed the vampire, or rather for him to feed on me. They didn't count on him choosing to talk to me instead of eating me. They created a virus that wiped out most of his kind. The vampires that didn't die, were driven to madness, except for a select few."

"Let me call Jiraiya," Naruto said.

"Why would you want to call that old pervert?" Sakura asked.

"Because my parents were killed by a vampire. I don't suppose your vampire has a name," Naruto said.

"Sasuke Uchiha," she answered.

Naruto's face grew serious. "My parents were killed by an Obito Uchiha. This is serious business, Sakura. Does he know who you are?"

"I healed a wound on his arm," Sakura admitted. "It was a sign of good faith."

Naruto rubbed his face and groaned. "I'm going to start some coffee. It's going to be a long night. Why don't you call Hinata while I call Jiraiya?"

"They confiscated my phone," Sakura admitted.

"Of course they did," Naruto said with a sigh. "Mine's on the end table. I'll start the coffee, you go ahead and tell Hinata. Have her bring her cousin Neji too. We might need both of them for this mission. Then I'll call Jiraiya. If vampires are involved we'll need the strength of ANBU."

* * *

_A/N: So, this takes place in the world of HOTD, but with an alternate version of Konoha being a neighboring village. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment! Thanks, Gentizm, for beta-ing…even though you know nothing about Naruto! And with Saeko's affection for koi fish I thought it would be fun to give her a pet beta fish. Also, I had Saeko's father refer to her as koi because the term can also mean 'love.' _


	3. Chapter 3

**Insatiable**

**Chapter Three:**

It was second period, History class, but instead of learning about the ancient Chinese dynasties, Takashi found himself on the stairwell leading to the school's rooftop. The best part of it was the view of the campus grounds. Specifically, of a certain violet-haired swordswoman as she spent her second period training at the dojo.

He could sense someone approach from behind, glanced over his shoulder to see his friend Saya Takagi stalking towards him. Her pink pigtails swung jovially on either side of her angry face. With an accusing finger, she poked him in the chest. "Why are you skipping class? I told the instructor that you were feeling ill, so she sent me to look for you at the nurse's office."

Takashi stepped back, out of reach of her finger. "I needed some fresh air," he answered, looking back towards the dojo. Saeko had started to perform her katas, dancing about the dojo with the grace of a ballerina.

Saya followed his gaze across the school grounds. "Still stalking the girl? I don't get why you won't just go and talk to her. She's not that special, just an upperclassman," Saya said, just a hint of jealousy in her tone.

Takashi sighed. "It's complicated." He couldn't explain to Saya that he was Master Busujima's vampire hunter apprentice. Nor, could he explain that he was forbidden by his scary master to socialize with his daughter.

"Tell me about complicated," Saya complained. She leaned against the railing, effectively blocking Takashi's view of Saeko. Reluctantly, Takashi turned his attention fully upon his friend. "You know I'm a genius, right?" Saya asked.

He nodded. "Everyone knows you're a genius, Saya. Top score on all the tests. And if we were to forget, you don't mind reminding us on a daily basis," Takashi teased.

"Well tell that to my parents," Saya said. She folded her arms over her chest and her pretty face scowled in frustration. "All they can ever do is talk about my cousin, Sakura, all the time. Why didn't I graduate high school three years earlier? I'll tell you why she graduated early, it's because she's from that ridiculously small town where her only real friend was that loud-mouthed blonde boy her parents adopted. If I lived in a small, boring town, I'd want to get out of there as soon as possible too!"

"Of course you would," Takashi agreed. He tried to hide his amusement behind a stoic expression. This wasn't the first time he had heard this rant. Saya was a sweet, thoughtful girl, but she was also a bit jealous of her cousin and Takashi's interest in Saeko.

"And then they're like, why didn't I finish university before I'm eighteen? It's so frustrating. Like I would want her life. She spends all her time at that research facility. It's like she has forgotten all about me. The only times I ever hear from her, is when she's complaining about the insane hours this Orochimaru, who's her boss, assigns her."

"Orochimaru?" Takashi asked.

"That's the one. Such a strange name! Who names their kid after a snake?" Saya ranted. She clutched onto his arm. "Enough talk, I have to get you to class."

Takashi looked past her for one more glimpse of violet and then let Saya drag him back to class. He knew the name Orochimaru. He was connected with the research facility Otogakure that often created weapons to use against the vampires. The Van Helsing Society of Japan had relied heavily on that facility's assistance over the past two decades. What project were they working on now that forced their staff to work such long hours?

"Maybe I can tell the instructor that you're lovesick," Saya said, casting him a cagy look with her amber eyes.

"Whatever!" Takashi laughed, slinging his arm around Saya's shoulders and hugging her to him. "Speaking of lovesick, do you remember my friend Kohta Hirano?"

Saya nodded warily. "I still don't understand how the two of you know one another."

"That's not important. Just, be nice to him, okay? If he confesses to you or anything, don't be your usual caustic self," Takashi asked.

"Well, if total strangers that merely wanted an easy way in with my family because of our wealth would stop harassing me, I'm sure I would be nicer. This is that heavy set boy? The one with the glasses?" Saya asked. "I've never spoken a word to him, just seen the two of you together after school sometimes. Why would he confess to me?"

Takashi resisted the urge to look back towards the dojo once more. "Sometimes, a girl can capture your attention from afar."

"You really are lovesick," Saya said shaking her head.

They returned to history class and aside from a curious look from Hisashi Igou no one much reacted to Takashi and Saya retaking their seats.

"Are you feeling better, Mr. Komuro?" Kyoko Hayashi, their teacher, asked. She adjusted her glasses and focused her attention on Takashi.

"Yes, ma'am," Takashi answered respectfully.

"Good, your assignment for this evening is to read the Balad of Mulan. The poem was first transcribed during the 6th century before the Tang Dynasty. Our version is a translation of Guo Maoqian from either the 11th or 12th century. It consists of thirty one couplets. Mr. Igou, what is the definition of a couplet?" Miss Hayashi asked.

Hisashi Igou, one of Takashi's oldest friends, stood from his desk. He brushed back his silver hair nervously. "I believe a couplet is a pair of lines in metered poetry. And they usually rhyme?"

"Mr. Igou, don't answer a question in a question. Say it with conviction," Miss Hayashi scolded.

"Yes, ma'am," Hisashi answered. "They usually rhyme," he added without the added inflection of uncertainty. He sat back smoothly in his chair.

"The ballad starts on page two hundred and fifty-three in your text book," Miss Hayashi continued lecturing. "Hua Mulan is a legendary figure in ancient China. The Balad of Mulan is believed to take place during the Wei dynasty. Does anyone know the time frame of the Wei dynasty?"

Saya raised her hand. Their teacher acknowledged her. Saya stood and with confidence recited, "The Wei dynasty lasted between the years of 386 and 536 in the common era." She sat back down.

"Hua Mulan is a legendary figure in ancient China, first written in the Balad of Mulan. Many of you are familiar with the story thanks to Disney. And while there are some similarities, as usual Disney got it wrong. Mulan took her aged father's place in the army and for twelve years fought and gained high merit. The reason I bring this up, is because the school's drama department will be performing this show in two nights." Miss Hayashi picked up a piece of chalk and began writing a time and the location of the school auditorium onto the blackboard. "I expect you to support your fellow classmates by attending this performance and then writing a three page paper examining the differences and similarities between the poem and the play."

Saya raised her hand and Miss Hayashi granted her permission to speak. "Teacher, may the paper be longer than three pages? I'm not sure that's long enough for me to fully expand on the differences and similarities between the two."

"At least three pages in length, no more than ten," Miss Hayashi amended. The teacher focused on Hisashi once more. "Mr. Igou, is there anything else you would like to add? I believe you are performing one of the lead roles."

Hisashi stood from his chair slowly. "Our play is an adaptation of the movie Mulan: Rise of a Warrior. I have some flyers in my backpack that I can pass out if you'd like."

"That would be marvelous, thank you, Mr. Igou," Miss Hayashi said.

Hisashi unzipped his backpack and handed the flyers to the class president, Miku Yuuki. She began to pass out the flyers.

Takashi scanned over the names of the actors and his eyes almost bugged out of his head upon spying a familiar name. Saeko Busujima would be playing the role of General Mulan. He glanced at the other names and was surprised to recognize so many more. Hisashi played General Wentai — the male lead. And Rei Miyamoto played the princess.

"I trust you won't have a problem with attending this," Saya whispered.

Takashi shook his head. His mind raced with possibilities. Would his master, Saeko's father attend? Would they acknowledge each other at the auditorium? Would he finally be able to meet the forbidden violet-haired beauty? He glared at the back of Hisashi's silver head in jealousy. Why did Hisashi get to work with Saeko and he had to watch her from afar?

* * *

**OoO**

Sasuke stared out into the darkness just outside of his cage. He sat lotus style, away from the electrical bars, and meditated constantly to maintain the connection with his familiar. Seven suns had risen and fallen since he'd last seen that girl, Sakura. It had been even longer since he last fed and his hunger gnawed at him. If it wasn't for her mystical healing, he would have been too weak to summon his familiar.

For the past seven days his hawk followed the scientist. His familiar's vision was limited to a gray-scale spectrum, but it's hearing was astute. Immediately, after she left that first night she visited a young man that had a strange and powerful glow about him. It must have been chakra. He followed the girl's activities all week and she frequently visited that man. He watched as a few others, all glowing with that strange chakra, came and went. Perhaps, the girl really was working to free him.

The hawk waited outside the facility while she worked. Those were the worst times, because she was so near and yet he was blind. That was when his hawk fed, the sensation of the hunt so keen within Sasuke as his familiar soared through the sky and picked up rodents and snakes. He enjoyed the shared sensation of ripping into the flesh of the prey and devouring them, though the consumption of their meat did little to help his own hunger.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at the sound of the door opening. His muscles tensed in anticipation of a fight, but he quickly relaxed recognizing Sakura. She locked the door behind her and glanced down at her watch briefly. "We only have about fifteen minutes. How do you feel?" she asked, crouching in front of his cage.

"Hungry," Sasuke snarled.

"Thought you might be. I have a friend that volunteers at the Red Cross." Sakura reached into the inner pocket of her lab coat and pulled out a bag of A positive blood. "We thought this might help you," she said holding the bag towards him. "Sorry, it's not O, but they didn't need this type as much and it won't be missed."

Sasuke snatched it out of her hand. The blood was cold, but it would keep him alert. He'd have preferred the life source of the woman in front of him, but he knew better. That would only lead to problems. If he drank from her thrice, they would be bonded. He would always know where she was and he'd feel a deep longing to be near her. It might drive him as insane as so many others before him.

He ripped into the container with his fangs and sucked the bag dry. His eyes never left Sakura's wide jade irises. She watched as he viciously consumed the bagged blood. He wiped his mouth with the back of his shirt sleeve, not that there was any drop of blood wasted, but it was more of a habit. One his brother, Itachi, constantly scolded him about, so naturally he continued to do it.

"I just need to access the computers, I'll be right back," Sakura said, moving away from his cage. She hooked up a drive to the main computer. "Okay, Hinata, do your thing," she muttered. She watched the monitor for a few moments before she hurried back to the cage.

The electricity that normally channeled through the wires of the cage was shut off. Now that he'd fed, it wouldn't be too hard to bust out. Sasuke crumbled the empty blood bag and crouched, ready to spring out of his cell.

Sakura's hands shook as she used a key to open the lock to his cage. It was made of pure silver or else he might have been able to break it himself. Sasuke watched her every movement. The tumblers on the cage released. Sakura backed away, her heart hammered in her chest and he could smell the nervous fear radiating off her in waves. She ventured back to the computer.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. He eased out of the cage and drew close to her. "With the computers," he clarified.

"Accessing the network and erasing all the data on the computers at the facility," Sakura said. She looked up and jumped at his proximity.

Sasuke stood right behind her, towering over her petite frame. He leaned over, gently pushed aside her pink hair to show her pale neck, and sniffed her carotid artery. She was simply delicious. "I've been watching over you. Who's the boy you've been seeing?"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"The night we met, you drove out immediately to meet with someone. You've met with him several times in the last seven nights," Sasuke explained. "Who is he?"

Sakura stiffed. "My brother. He's the one that is helping me break you out. We've got to get out of here within ten minutes. The place is going to blow."

Sasuke backed up a step. "Explosives?"

"On a timer, let's go," Sakura said. "This program will do its job, now let me do mine."

There was a pounding on the door. "I know you're in there!" Kabuto shouted. "Did you think I wouldn't notice? Don't think I won't blast this door down and you with it!"

"He has a shotgun," Sasuke warned. "I can hear him pulling back the lever. Is there another way out of here?"

Sakura looked around the room and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Not that I know of," she fretted.

A large hole was shot through the door. "Definitely a shotgun," Sasuke said. He was stronger than the mad scientist. If he entered the room he could definitely take him, especially now that he had fed. Unfortunately, the scientist knew his weaknesses, that's how he caught him the first time. He couldn't rely on his strength alone and he didn't have all the necessary information to make a tactical decision.

"I could make an exit," Sakura said. She reared back her fist, it glowed that strange bright green that Sasuke had come to associate with chakra. Then she busted a hole through the wall.

Sasuke had seen a great many things in his long years of life, but a human woman breaking down a wall with her bare fist was a new one. Where did she gain this monstrous strength? She ran into the hallway and Sasuke followed after her. She turned to stare at Kabuto. The white-haired scientist stared back at her in shock, then he quickly redirected his shotgun in their direction.

"Shit!" Sasuke muttered, he scooped Sakura up in his arms and used his supernatural speed to flash step out of the hallway, zooming past Kabuto and appearing as nothing more than a black mist to the human eye. Sakura clutched on to him, her face pressed against his chest.

They reached the forest just outside of the facility. The predawn light just skimmed over the horizon. "Shit," Sasuke repeated. He kept hold of Sakura and turned towards the facility just in time to see it burst into flames. "News flash, monster-strength girl, vampires and sunlight don't go well together."

"I know of a place. My car is just over there," she said.

"We can't take your car. It won't be fast enough," Sasuke said. He could already feel his skin blistering.

"Alright, head west, I'll tell you how to get there," Sakura said.

* * *

**OoO**

Saeko was exhausted as she stirred the beef udon noodle soup for dinner. It was almost ready and her mouth watered from hunger. It had been a long day of classes, play rehearsal, and then Kendo practice. She'd only returned home about ten minutes earlier that her father, the sun had already set and the waxing moon's light had filled the night sky.

She set the soup and seaweed salad on the kitchen table. Her father sat at the head of the table reading a newspaper, but he quickly set it aside. "Itadakimasu," they said in unison.

"Delicious as always, daughter," Daichi complimented as he held a chopstick full of salad before his mouth. "The flavor is just right."

"Thank you," Saeko said ducking her head demurely. It was hard to act the perfect daughter. With the loss of her mother, the role of household tasks fell upon Saeko. She struggled hard to keep their home clean and prepare well-balanced, traditional meals. It made having a part-time job impossible between her household chores, Kendo club, academics, and now her role in the school play.

"Tell me, how is that play of yours working out? I wish to watch your performance," Daichi said. "When is it? I will not miss another important event in my daughter's life."

"Father, enough about missing the Kendo tournament. I told you, it was not a big deal. And the play is in two nights," Saeko answered. "I play the lead, Mulan. She is a warrior of the Wei Dynasty in Ancient China. It will be at the academy's auditorium at six o'clock."

Daichi laughed, the sound akin to a deep rumble in his chest. "Fear not, Saeko, for I know who Mulan is! Do you not remember the evenings I would read to you stories of her exploits before you went to bed, my little koi?"

Saeko smiled softly. She did remember, but she feared that her father had forgotten. It had been many years. They finished their meal in silence, each lost in their own musings. Saeko was nervous about her foray into the acting field. The drama instructor at the school watched one of her Kendo practices after school and then asked that she would try out for the lead in the school performance. Saeko was a swordswoman, not an actress. But then when Mr. Tejima explained the performance was that of Mulan, Saeko had been sold on the idea. Who better to play a warrior woman, than a master swordswoman?

It seemed that he took the same approach when he persuaded Hisashi Igou, the Captain of the Martial Arts club, to try out for Wentai. He was the character that Shang was based upon in the Disney version.

"Come, sit with me outside for a while to enjoy the quiet of the night," Daichi invited. "I will help you with the dishes later."

"Okay," Saeko agreed. The offer was unusual, but she enjoyed spending time with her father. He often had words of wisdom to impart. She left the table as it was and followed her father outside to the koi pond in their backyard. They sat at the old wooden bench next to the pond. Saeko watched mesmerized by the gold, red, and white koi fish that swam in colorful schools. The elegant fish provided a scene of tranquility that often calmed the dark, disturbance in her heart.

"You've always enjoyed watching these fish," Daichi murmured.

"They are elegant and graceful. I am calmed watching their interactions," Saeko admitted. "I can talk to them and they only listen, never judge me." She was talented in the art of swordsmanship, but part of her enjoyed the violence of the sport. She liked the sense of empowerment that accompanied besting someone in a fight. Sometimes her dark nature scared her. She was ashamed to tell her father of her lust for power, so only the koi knew the depths of her darkness.

"Perhaps they judge you, but you cannot understand their fish speech," Daichi said with a grin.

He wrapped his arm affectionately over her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head. They sat together for several minutes in silence enjoying the pond and the pale moonlight. "I have been thinking about secrets and do not like hiding things from you, Saeko. I thought keeping you ignorant would keep you safe, but I was wrong. I have decided that the night of your play you will meet my apprentice, Takashi."

"Really?" Saeko asked, surprised. She turned towards her father and searched his blue-gray eyes. He was serious. She hugged him. "Thank you, Father. I know you were hesitant, but I will not betray your trust."

"Of course you won't, little koi," Daichi said, a small smile curling the corner of his lips. "After you meet Takashi you may have a little sparring session with the only student of mine that can fight on par with my beloved daughter. Then, I will tell you about the organization to which I belong. And it's not the Green Dragon."

Saeko chuckled. "I have a hard time believing that."

"It's not the Green Dragon," Daichi insisted. "It is an organization mcuh older and I believe it is time that you join it as well."

"Can't you tell me now, Father?" Saeko asked, curious at her father's serious tone.

Daichi shook his head. "No, my little koi. It would only distract you. The night after your performance I will tell you everything." He stood and offered Saeko his hand. "I'll clean up the kitchen. Why don't you go on to bed?"

"Okay," Saeko agreed. She followed her father back inside their home. What could have inspired Daichi Busujima to suddenly want to share the trust of his secret activities? "Father, are we in trouble?"

"Not as long as I'm around to stop it," Daichi promised, his expression grim.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. I appreciate your reviews and support greatly! I've gotten super excited about this vampire story, and that's one of the reasons my regular HOTD story is on hiatus so I can get this one out of my system. Thanks so much to my friend and beta, Gentizm. His comments always make me laugh and he helps me polish these chapters so much!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This chapter is in honor of Sasuke's birthday on July 23rd! _

* * *

**Insatiable**

**Chapter Four:**

The world was a blur as Sasuke carried Sakura westward. He was in a race against the sun's unrelenting light. They'd stopped by her car long enough for her to pull out the cloak she brought for him. He'd slipped it on and then followed her directions to the Takagi Manor. This was the only iffy part of the operation. She wasn't very close to her mother's civilian side of the family, but she had always liked Saya. Though, they didn't have much in common aside from their intelligence and pink hair.

"Here?" Sasuke asked, coming to an abrupt halt at the huge, formidable gate outside of the manor.

"You can enter right? Or do you need permission for the property too?" Sakura asked.

"Public lands aren't a problem, but a large and unfriendly fence generally means visitors aren't welcome," Sasuke said. He set Sakura on her feet and pulled the cloak tighter.

"All right, let me just get you an invitation," Sakura said. She took a deep breath, charged her feet with chakra, and ran up the fence. She paused for only a moment at the very top to jump to the ground twenty feet below. She would have loved to have seen the expression on Sasuke's face at her abilities, but there was no time for that.

She had only been to the manor once, but she memorized the layout and did the wall running trick again to reach Saya's third story bedroom. She landed on the balcony and rapped her knuckles on the glass paneled french doors.

"What the hell?" A cranky, feminine voice cried out. The curtains were pulled back abruptly and her cousin's bespectacled face stared at her in shock. "Sakura? What are you doing here? It's not even daylight!"

"And as soon as it is daylight my friend is dead if you don't invite him onto your property," Sakura explained impatiently.

"What are you talking about?" Saya asked. She opened the doors and stared out at the balcony and then down at the ground below them. "How did you get up here?"

"I'll show you," Sakura said. "Promise not to scream." She scooped Saya into her arms, her cousin squeaked in surprise, but quickly pressed her lips together stubbornly. Sakura concentrated on her chakra distribution and ran down the side of the house again, but with the wide-eyed girl in her arms. She raced to the fence and set Saya onto her feet. "Invite him in, please."

"You have to say my name. Sasuke Uchiha," he called out from the other side. "We're running out of time, Sakura."

"I invite you onto the property, Sasuke Uchiha," Saya said, giving Sakura a bewildered look.

Sasuke soared into the air, his cloak billowed out behind him, and then he landed softly on the ground next to them. Saya stared at him open-mouthed.

"You have a horse barn, right? Some place without much light? It was built over a bomb shelter from World War II?" Sakura asked, shaking Saya's upper arm and drawing her attention.

"Well yeah, but why don't you both just come inside the house. We have plenty of guest bedrooms." Saya pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "There's no need to stay in a barn. Oh, sorry, Sasuke Uchiha, you may enter the house." She jerked her arm out of Sakura's grip. "Why do I have to invite him? Does he have some strange Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?"

"No," Sakura said, grasping onto the front of Sasuke's shirt, using her monstrous strength to keep him in place. "The barn is fine. We just need the bomb shelter anyway. Rescind your invitation right now, Saya!"

"Okay, Sasuke Uchiha I rescind your invitation," Saya repeated. "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on here? Some of us have school in the morning!"

"Which way is the barn?" Sasuke asked.

Saya pointed towards a large building separate from the house, not far from a large koi pond. Sasuke scooped up both Sakura and Saya and transported them there within seconds, becoming the strange black mist as before. He set them down and explored the barn. Upon discovering a door in the floor that led to an underground shelter, he hurried down.

"You! Explain!" Saya demanded, prodding Sakura in the sternum.

"So, he's a vampire and I'm rescuing him from an evil corporation," Sakura explained.

"The corporation you've been working for?" Saya asked. "I know you've been complaining about long hours, but that doesn't make it evil."

"That's the one. My mission was to infiltrate them and see if they had, in fact, been behind a series of attacks and dangerous experiments." Sakura ventured towards the trapdoor that sheltered Sasuke.

"Mission?"

Sakura sighed. "Would you believe that I'm part of a secret ninja clan that fights against the evils that plague humanity?"

"Isn't a vampire evil?"

"Not all of them." Sakura cast a worried look towards the bomb shelter door. "He might not know this, but the Uchihas were part of the founding members of our clan."

"How long will you be here?" Saya asked. Her amber eyes were bright in thought. "You'll need water and supplies. Father had a bathroom installed down there, it's pretty cool. There's a tank that recycles the water, it does have to be emptied twice a year, but it's really quite fascinating. He used the most elite and ingenious engineers."

Sakura held up a hand to silence her cousin's educational diatribe. "You can tell me about it later. You need to return to the house before anyone else notices anything suspicious."

"Oh, like my cousin walking up walls and me flying with a vampire?" Saya arched her pink eyebrow. She sighed. "Good thing I know how to erase surveillance videos. I'll be back in a couple of hours with a bag full of the essentials." Saya smirked. "Like a toothbrush and paste," she whispered with a giggle. "He is cute!"

"I thought you weren't interested in boys!" Sakura whispered back. "You're too young!"

"Oh, but he's a full grown vampire, that puts him in a league of his own. Unless you have an interest in him yourself?" Saya said with a teasing smile.

Sakura wrapped Saya into a firm hug and then released her. "I owe you. Now, just get out of here."

"Don't worry, I mean to collect."

Sakura watched as her cousin left the barn, locking the door behind her. Now, all she had to do was wait. She'd contact Naruto in two days and then they could smuggle Sasuke away. Not all vampires were bad, but it was a bad idea to keep them in such a populated city. She opened the shelter door and was comforted by the soft light from a lantern in the center of the room. Sasuke sat on the futon on the far wall.

"Darkness doesn't bother me, but I thought you might appreciate some light," Sasuke said quietly.

Sakura secured the door and carefully navigated the concrete stairs. She just locked herself inside a small room with a hungry vampire that already told her that she smelled like a fine cuisine.

"I can control myself," Sasuke said. He patted the spot next to him on the futon. "I'd like for you to explain to me how a mere human was able to run up that fence and how she was able to punch a hole through a steel reinforced wall."

Sakura ventured near the futon. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to sit next to a vampire, but she'd already locked herself in a room with him. What would it matter if she sat beside him or not when he could cross the distance from one end of the bomb shelter to the other before she could blink?

"Okay," Sakura agreed. She joined him on the futon and folded her legs underneath her. "I can climb up walls, heal you, and bust holes through walls with a monstrous strength because I'm a ninja with the ability to utilize chakra in the arts of ninjutsu and taijutsu," she explained.

Sasuke sucked in a breath through his teeth. "From what village do you hail?"

"I believe you know, Sasuke Uchiha. Your ancestor helped establish it after all," Sakura said quietly.

"Konoha, the Hidden Leaf," Sasuke said leaning back against the futon and closing his eyes. "Did my brother send you?"

"I'm not sure who your brother is, but when you told me your name I went to my team to devise a way to free you from Orochimaru's captivity," Sakura explained. "Where is your brother?"

Sasuke sighed. "Who knows? He constantly moves between lairs. When my hawk wasn't following you, I had him searching for Itachi."

"And your familiar had no luck?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke opened his dark eyes and smirked at her. "Well, I wouldn't say that. You're here and I'm no longer in a cage."

* * *

**OoO**

The slums were overrun with unusual activity. Detective Miyamoto had requested that Master Busujima should visit the area personally. He brought along Takashi and Kohta. It had been many months since Takashi's master had been present on a mission.

"Takashi, take the left. Kohta, the right. I'll keep down the center," Daichi ordered in a whisper. They went about their assigned routes.

Takashi's hand lingered over the hilt of the katana secured at his waist on the right side. Master Busujima had insisted that Takashi bring along his sword and not his crude baseball bat. He also had a handgun in the holster on his left, a first aid backpack, and a pair of throwing blades strapped to his lower legs. And tucked against his left forearm was a good old fashioned wooden stake. A vampire nest was suspected in this section of the slums. The amount of drained victims was staggering. The nearby cemetery overflowed with new additions.

There was a gust of wind and Takashi whirled around, his sword at the ready and sliced from shoulder to sternum, obliterating the heart of a vampire. Its black as pitch eyes glared at him in a moment of pure loathing before his entire form crumbled into a pile of ash. Takashi placed his sword back in its sheath and prepared for his next encounter.

A shuffle, drag sound came from his left. Takashi hurried in that direction, keeping his presence hidden in shadow and his footfall quiet. He didn't expect to see a young man with his throat torn open, right leg missing from the knee down, and a blank look in his glazed-over eyes. "Mister? I'm here to help, okay?" Takashi whispered crouching low and near the injured man.

The injured man swiveled his head in Takashi's direction and snapped his jaws like a rabid dog. "Um, you've lost a lot of blood," Takashi continued. He pulled out the first aid kit. "I'll just tie a tourniquet around that leg of yours." He shifted so that he was near the back of the man, but the man began to spin around on his hands crawling closer to Takashi with his jaw snapping. Takashi stared at the wound, it wasn't bleeding normal red blood. A black tar-like goo oozed out. He backed away, wary of the snapping jaws.

"You found one too," Daichi said, stepping behind him. He approached the crawling man and impaled his sword through his skull. It collapsed to the ground. "This is George Taiko. He died five days ago, throat ripped open by a vampire," Daichi said. "He used to be the grocer at the market I frequent."

Takashi stared at George. "So why was he trying to eat me?"

"Because, Takashi, we have a necromancer on our hands," Daichi explained. He flung the gore off his blade and placed it in the sheath at his hip. "Kohta found a couple more by the river. If you're bitten, you then turn into one of them. Only way to kill them is decapitation or beheading."

"That's pretty awful," Takashi said with a cringe. "Poor guy."

"George is gone," Daichi said. He prodded the corpse's body with the toe of his boot. "This was but a shell that some master vampire brought back to haunt the living." He offered his hand to Takashi and helped him stand. "I wanted to talk to you about my daughter, Saeko."

"Yes?" Takashi asked, nervously swallowing the lump in his throat. "What about her?"

"Tomorrow night, you're meeting her. I'm planning to make her a part of this. The Busujima bloodline is strong in her and it is a waste to not utilize her in this war," Daichi said. "She's in some school play at the moment, but after that."

"I know," Takashi said. His master arched his dark eyebrows. "I mean, I know about the school play. She's playing the lead. My friend Hisashi is in the production too," he explained.

"Ah," Daichi said, his expression softened. "Come, we need to report back to headquarters. Now that we've confirmed the works of necromancy, we'll need our allies."

"Allies?" Kohta asked, stepping over George's corpse to join them.

"Long ago, the Van Helsing Society allied with a powerful, secluded ninja clan," Daichi answered. "I'll tell you more about it tonight." He slipped off his backpack and pulled out a brown bottle with a strange liquid sloshing around inside. He snapped on a pair of latex gloves, opened the bottle and poured it over poor George. His body sizzled and bubbled. There was nothing left aside from a black grease spot on the ground. Daichi closed the bottle. "Very toxic stuff. Don't ever let it splash on you." He secured the bottle into a zippered container and then placed it back into his pack.

"Shouldn't you use protective eye gear or something?" Kohta pointed out.

Daichi winked at him. "You going to rat me out to my supervisor?" Master Daichi Busujima was the leader of the Japanese branch of the Van Helsing Society.

* * *

**OoO**

Saeko just finished strapping on her battle blue and slate gray leather armor. Her armor was no stage prop. All those that belonged to the Busujima Samurai family had their own armor. Her father had presented her with the current armor for her sixteenth birthday last year. She held the hilt of her prop sword in her hand absently as she made her way to the corner of the stage. She peeked out at the audience and was surprised by the number in attendance. The drama teacher had made it sound like not many would attend the performance, but that was obviously a gross underestimation of interest if the crowd was any indication.

She scanned through the first few rows, but then something caught her eye on the balcony section. Stage right on the front row she spied her father and he was talking to a young man as if they knew one another.

"What are you doing?" Hisashi asked, creeping up behind her and sneaking a peek himself. His face grew white and a fine perspiration broke out across his forehead. "That's a few more people than I imagined."

"Do you know the boy on stage right, talking to my father? My father is-," Saeko started.

"Everyone knows who your father is, Saeko," Hisashi said with a smirk. He stood with his chin just over her shoulder and followed her line of sight. "Ah, that's Takashi Komuro. He's a good friend of mine." He stepped back and Saeko let the curtain fall back into place. "You've never met him?" Hisashi asked in surprise.

"He looks familiar, but I don't know him. I believe he trains with my father privately," Saeko answered. That must have been her father's apprentice. She couldn't see him clearly from the distance, but she thought he might be cute. She looked forward to meeting him. She just needed to get past this performance first.

Hisashi shrugged. "Could be. We used to take martial arts together as kids. He was really good. I was surprised when he didn't join any of the clubs at this academy."

Saeko took a deep breath and smiled at Hisashi. "Ready to impress them with our acting prowess?"

"Let's do this," Hisashi said with wavering grin.

* * *

**OoO**

"You were amazing, little koi," Daichi said once more. He drove Saeko to their home, she still had her battle armor from the performance on. "And do not worry, I will help you remove the armor properly. You chose well to not let one of those inexperienced schoolmates of yours make the attempt and ruin a Busujima treasure. Though I still do not understand why you insisted upon wearing it for this."

"Thank you, Father," Saeko answered demurely. She brushed her fingers down the front of her armor. "I haven't had any other opportunities to wear this." He parked in their driveway and then helped her out of her side of the car. The street lights down their block weren't working and yet night had fallen at least two hours before. "I hope the electricity isn't down in the house," she murmured.

"We have plenty of candles," Daichi reassured her, wrapping his arm over her shoulders and drawing her close against his side as they walked up the sidewalk. "It is a bit harder to manage these steps without any light though." He glanced up into the sky. "Must be a new moon. The clouds aren't too dense."

"When is your apprentice coming over?" Saeko asked.

"Ah, in about an hour. He had an errand he needed to run with the society," Daichi said. He unlocked the front door and tried the light switch. Nothing happened. "Could you gather some candles?"

Saeko stepped away from his arm and stepped two rooms over into the kitchen. She opened the junk drawer and pulled out a small Maglight. "Do you want to borrow this? I know my way to the candles pretty well."

"Do not worry about me, little koi," Daichi said. "I've lived here even longer than you. I have some extra flashlights in the dojo. I'll just go gather a few."

Saeko busied herself collecting the spare white candles and a jasmine scented one from under the kitchen counter in the lower cabinets. She set them in the center of the dining table , took a seat, and waited for her father for a few minutes.

"He should be back by now," she worried aloud. She grabbed her Maglight and started for the dojo. "Father?" she inquired at the door. There was a metallic smell in the air. The darkness within the dojo seemed almost impenetrable. Saeko's instincts kicked into overdrive and she shone her flashlight into the darkest section of the dojo - the light did nothing to disperse the darkness, but she could see a dark liquid seeping onto the floor. She yanked a practice sword off the wall. "Who is there?" she demanded.

Saeko hurried towards the dark section of the dojo with her practice botan at the ready. It was definitely blood that she had smelled and a lot of it. "Father!" she shouted, her flashlight breaking through the darkness finally and revealing her father pale and unmoving. She crouched at his side and felt for his pulse, dropping the flashlight in the process. His pulse was slow and thready.

"Run," Daichi croaked, his voice garbled with blood.

Saeko felt a strong grip at the back of her neck and then she was thrown across the dojo, a strong presence caught her in mid-air and she used that moment to slam her practice sword into the center of its mass. The sword snapped in half and she found her back braced against one of the dojo's support beams. The lower half of the practice sword was ripped out of her hand by an inhuman strength. Her whole body felt rigid with an oppressive coldness. A solid weight pressed against her and pinned her to the wall, the placards of her father's awards shattered to the floor. She was grateful to still be wearing the armor, but she might as well have been wearing a flimsy robe for the protection it afforded.

"Look at what we have here," a husky voice whispered in her ear. "The Master has a daughter does he not?" Sharp daggers pierced the skin of her throat, but Saeko didn't scream. She fought against the man, but to no avail. In spite of her athletic prowess he was unbelievably strong. She gripped his forearms ineffectually, her nails dug deep into his flesh. "What's this?" he asked, drawing back.

"Who are you?" Saeko gasped. Her ears roared from the blood loss and her leg shook, ready to give out from under her. She'd have crumpled to the floor if he hadn't been holding her up. She was so cold.

Crimson and black eyes of pure evil glimmered in the darkness. "It would be a waste to kill one such as you." He ripped his fangs over his wrist and shoved his bleeding wound over Saeko's mouth. She tried to turn her head away, but he was too strong.

Heat. Her veins burned.

He laid her gently on the floor of the dojo. "Come to me when you are strong," he whispered. Then he was gone.

Saeko's vision began to clear, though now it was in hyper focus. She could see everything about her in minute detail. The crickets outside hurt her ears with their racket. There was a strong, coppery scent heavy in the air. Saeko crawled in the direction where it was thickest hoping it wasn't too late to save her father. Her heart rate slowed. It was barely beating in her chest and yet she was still conscious. How?

Her fingers brushed over the solid form of Daichi Busujima. "Father?" Saeko whispered on a choked cry. She turned him onto his back and while she knew the dojo was still black as pitch, she could see within the darkness. Like her, his neck had a severe wound, but his heart was silent. "Father?" Saeko cried out, laying her cheek over his still chest.

* * *

**OoO**

Takashi had an uneasy feeling as he walked down the dark streets in Master Busujima's neighborhood. His master's car was parked in the driveway and the flickering light of candles danced across the window facing the dining room. These details did little to ease his worry.

He had brought a sword cane to the school's performance of Mulan. He unscrewed the silver sculpted dragon handle and pulled the blade out of the sheath of the cane and held it out before him. He checked the house first. The front door was locked, but the back door that led to the dojo was ajar. He entered the house cautiously and found nothing other than the candles in the dining room. The melted wax wasn't too deep, maybe a half hour had passed since they were lit.

He left them ablaze and ventured to the dojo, his step cautious and his ears trained for the smallest of noises. There was a flashlight dropped on the floor that lit up a corner of the dojo where a large puddle of blood had pooled. Takashi scanned the entire dojo, but there was no one else there but him and the sources of the blood. He crouched to the source of the blood and recognized the body of Master Busujima. He could see hand and footprints within the blood and the impression that someone had kneeled in it.

"Where is your daughter?" Takashi asked. His eyes darted over the area. He could see a broken practice sword and more blood by one of the support pillars. The pillar had a crack through it, as if someone had been slammed into it with great force.

Takashi pulled out his cell phone and called Kohta. "Yeah, it's me. I need back up. Master Busujima is dead and I'm pretty sure someone took his daughter. Let Detective Miyamoto know too. It's a serious problem if it could take out Daichi." Takashi hung up and used the flashlight to sweep over the room once more then he hurried to the steps and looked for any sign of footprints.

He saw what could have been Saeko's footprints leaving the dojo, the blood trail had thinned out as if whatever wounds she had sustained might have healed. "Shit," Takashi said upon realization. "He made her a fucking vampire."

* * *

**OoO**

Sasuke had been lounging inside the barn since dusk. He'd hunted the rats within the building and drained them. A pile of their lifeless bodies sat in the corner of the barn. He waited for Sakura to return. She'd gone inside the house to use their computers to contact her allies and Sasuke had nothing better to do, so he slept. It wasn't long before Sasuke jolted awake. He could sense a strong vampiric power nearby.

Sakura returned within a few minutes with her arms laden with supplies for travel. "We'll leave tomorrow night," she said.

"Something happened," Sasuke said.

"Dead rats happened?" Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "What else is happening in the barn?"

"Not here, elsewhere," Sasuke said clutching at his temples. He looked up and met her gaze, she took a step back, and he could sense her fear of him. He tried to calm himself, but was unsuccessful. "My Uncle is here."

"Here?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide as she glanced over each shoulder.

"Near," Sasuke corrected. "He's looking for me."

"And you don't want him to find you?" Sakura asked, stepping near.

Sasuke reached out and grasped her face, locking his gaze within hers. She dropped the items she held and stood motionless in his grip. He entered her mind and filled it with memories of his uncle's crimes. He'd been a mass murderer two centuries ago, but had been defeated. Sasuke showed her scenes from his childhood of the victims to his uncle's purging - human and vampire alike.

"When he kills someone, he takes their life force and their skills," Sasuke explained, releasing his grip on Sakura. She stumbled back and would have fallen, but he caught her and steadied her balance before backing up a good ten feet. She smelled so good, he couldn't touch her for long.

"What does he hope to accomplish?" Sakura asked.

"Eternal life," Sasuke answered. "To rule the world."

"And your brother? This Itachi?" Sakura asked.

"After the loss of so many of our kind, uncle tried to keep Itachi and me under his control. Itachi disagreed with his methods and we ran away. He's been looking for us for decades," Sasuke explained.

"And you felt him? Nearby?" Sakura clarified. She took hold of his elbow and drew him deeper into the shadows of the barn. "Should we leave? Now?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I do not know where to go," he confessed. He looked down at where the human still clutched his arm. His eyes fluttered open as the smell of her fear and bravery mingled and created an aphrodisiac. "Rats taste awful by the way."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any more bagged blood," Sakura apologized.

Sasuke leaned down and touched his lips against the pulse in her throat. "There's you," he whispered brushing his lips against her skin.

"You want to feed off me?" Sakura gasped. She shoved him away glared at him.

It took all of Sasuke's patience to not just take what he wanted and calm the temperamental kunoichi. "Yes. Though, for a purpose."

"And what purpose would that be?" Sakura demanded, fists held in front of her in a defensive stance.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her stance. Did she really think she stood a chance against him? He rushed towards her, trapping her arms between their bodies. "If I feed off you and then give you a little of my blood, we'll be connected. Even if we're separated, I'll still be able to find you."

"Didn't you say that my blood type would be addictive?" Sakura asked in a small voice.

Sasuke sniffed at the junction between her neck and shoulder. She smelled delightful. "True. As long as we don't feed from each other more than three times, you'll still remain human. And you'll certainly taste better than those rats."

"Wait? What? What else would I be?" Sakura demanded, pushing him away with that monstrous strength of hers. Sasuke stumbled back a few steps by the force from the shove.

Gingerly, Sasuke rubbed his sore chest from where she had pushed him. How was that possible? "If a Master Vampire feeds from you and then offers you some of his blood willingly it will turn a human into a vampire. I'm no master, but I have vampire nobility in my bloodline. If I were to willingly feed off of and then feed a particular human thrice, she would turn into a vampire," he explained.

"Why she? Can't you turn males too?" Sakura asked.

"Sure, but why would I? Males would just provide more competition." He appeared at her side and gently traced the tips of his fingers down her cheek and jaw. "Most vampires choose to create lovers."

"I will kill you, if I have to," Sakura warned.

He might have taken her warning more seriously, if her voice hadn't wavered. "I know," he said dipping his head against her throat. His fangs slid out and he penetrated her external jugular vein, his fangs produced a sedating anesthesia to dull the pain, and he wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist and lower back when her legs collapsed under her. He held her against him and relished in the taste. He drew back and licked the fang marks, healing them.

He sat on the ground and drew Sakura into his lap. She opened her jade eyes to stare at him dazedly. He held his wrist against his mouth and ripped opened a wound and held it out in front of her lips. "Drink and we'll be connected, Sakura."

"The choice is yours," he whispered, nuzzling her neck. He wasn't surprised when he felt the gentle tug of her mouth against his wound. She drew back, licking her lips, and then she touched his forearm and a green glow surrounded the laceration and then it was knitted back together.

"I thought vampire attacks were painful," Sakura whispered. She shivered in his arms and he held her closer.

"They usually do, unless the vampire takes care to dull the pain. We have the ability to create an analgesic. Most choose not to waste such energy on prey," he explained.

"Is that what I am? Prey?"

"No, Sakura, you are-," Sasuke paused, carefully selecting an appropriate description. "My ally," he finished. "Let us rest while the bond forms between us. My hawk shall search for my brother. If we are lucky, perhaps I'll find him."

"We can't stay here much longer. I don't want to risk putting Saya in trouble," Sakura said, her eyes blinking slowly as the drowsiness that accompanied a bond began to set in.

"Very well, tomorrow night, we shall be gone from this place," Sasuke promised. He lifted her into his arms and started back for the underground bomb shelter. He stopped to pick up her fallen bag from earlier on the way down.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks so much to Gentizm for betaing this chapter! I appreciate your reviews and support, so let me know what you think! The action and romance is finally picking up!_


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